Lovers Embrace
by mesjackson
Summary: A poem is read out to the class and Percy reacts violently. **I do not own Percy Jackson.** two-shot. Now a three-shot.
1. The poem

"Next is Braden."

Braden stands and makes his way to the front of the class, his hands are shaking and the page he is clutches shakes too, making it that much more obvious. He is scared. He is scared of reciting his poem to the class. He looks at his classmates and draws in a deep breath and starts to read.  
"I breathe in.

I am certain I am breathing in my own blood.

I am drowning.

And there is nothing I can do about it.

I cough.

Blood.

There is a thud next to me and I look over.

My love.

She is also breathing in blood.

She is going to die.

And I am going to die too.

Darkness.

Light.

Darkness.

Light.

My love.

Death.

My love.

Blood.

I crawl to her and lie myself down against her body.

Her breathing is laboured, wet. She is breathing in blood.

She knows I am too.

And if I am to die, which I will I will be glad to say I died in my lovers embrace.

"I love you."

Darkness."

There is a disturbance at the back of the classroom. Braden looks up to see a panicked Percy Jackson. He is wide eyed. Braden watches as the teacher tries to calm him down. He is yelling and she is yelling. And Braden can't help but feel that maybe that Percy Jackson's episode is his fault because of his stupid poem that he had to create for English literature.  
Percy is crying now and yelling out for someone. It is more like a desperate cry for help.  
"_Annabeth_" the voices rings out through the classroom.  
"_Annabeth_," he screams. "_Come back, please._"

"Mr Jackson, please, calm-"

Mrs Davis is cut short by a piercing wail.

And as Braden watches Percy sprint out of the classroom and down the hall he can't help but feel he has lost his lovers embrace.

**_I am so sorry it's short, it started out as a poem for my literature class and I turned it into a small one-shot. Thanks, xo_**


	2. The call

"Is Percy Jackson there?" Braden says into the phone to who he assumes is Percy's mother.

There is some muffling and a yell, then a fumble and a grunt. "Hello?" the voice says.

Percy Jackson.

"It's me, Braden, from your English literature class."

"Hi," he is nervous.

"I was just wondering if you were OK."

"I'm fine."

"I am sorry if something I wrote upset you, I really am-"

"It's alright."

"Read yours."

"My what?"

"Poem."

There is a strained silence. "It isn't finished."

"That's fine," Braden says into the phone.

There is a series of crashes and clangs; evidently he is walking up a flight of stairs. A door opens and then slams, Braden can hear him rifling through books and drawers. Then there is silence. Percy takes in a deep breath then releases it into the phone. It's almost as if he is going to cry.

"I'm ready."

Braden nods, even though Percy can't see him. Percy takes the silence as a green light and takes in one more breath before he begins to read.

"Hollow,

Empty,

Sore.

Beaten is what I am,

And beaten is you.

Though in the end we are all dead,

I would rather be dead with you.

And when I am gone,

And you're still in heaven

I will watch from hell and smile,

Because-

Braden this is as far as I got."

Nothing can be heard except for Percy's deep breathing. _He's trying not to cry, _Braden thinks. There is a loud crash; something has fallen over, another crash, and another and another and another. Things crash and all Braden can do is listen as the boy in his literature class falls to pieces. A heartbroken cry rings out through the phone and it quickly turns into a strangled sob. And as Braden's heart breaks, he thinks so is the world's.

"It's OK, Percy," Braden yells into the phone.

"No, it isn't, you don't understand, I have to live with it," Percy whispers back.

Braden doesn't say anything because he doesn't need to guess because he already knows what Percy is going to say.

Silence.

"I couldn't save her, Braden, I couldn't save her."

_Annabeth._

Darkness.

**_Again, I am sorry that it is so short, xo_**


	3. The letter

It had been two weeks since Percy Jackson last came to school.

And every day that passed his seat in English literature stayed vacant.

No one sat in it because they thought that maybe if they left it empty he might come bounding into the room smiling and apologising for being late.

It had been two days since Percy Jackson stopped calling Braden.

It had been two minutes since the guidance counsellor walked into the room and announced to the class that Percy Jackson had taken his own life in the midst of his grief.

And Braden thought it funny that two words, "He's dead," could destroy someone so entirely. Granted he and Percy were not the best of friends but they had bonded over the last twelve days. He stands and leaves the room, collecting himself in the hallway as best he can, leaving the other students' cries behind him.

"Braden."

He turns around and stares into the face of the guidance counsellor.

"Yes?"

"Percy's mother gave this to me, he wrote you a letter."

_Dear, _

_Braden, _

_I think about her every day.  
I think about how I left her there, surrounded by those monsters. _

_I left her. _

_I killed her. _

_And I think about your poem. _

_And how we both laid there breathing in our blood.  
And how she died.  
And I didn't.  
And the blood…_

_And now all I see is darkness. _

_And I think about my poem and how I said that when I die I'll be in hell.  
But that's wrong, where I am now, it is hell. And the only way I will find peace is finding her. _

_And I never said "I love you," in our final embrace, and that is what I regret the most, not telling her I love her and I can gladly say now that me departing from this earth is my final "I love you," to her and my death is our final lovers' embrace. _

_You may be thinking, why am I writing you a letter? _

_My answer is this: Do not find darkness. And if you do, find the light.  
Because God knows what I did and am going to do is wrong. _

_And I thank you, because you Braden have helped me more than you think. _

_Love,  
Percy Jackson _

Braden stares at the piece of paper in his hands; it's crinkled and is wet from his tears. And in the brightness of the hallway Braden thinks. Braden does not and will never know what happened to Percy Jackson and his lover but he decides then and there that he will do whatever it takes to find the light.

And when he is with his lover their final embrace will not be them breathing in blood. _  
_

**_I am terribly sorry, it's short (again!) Please tell me what you think, I would appreciate it very much, xo_**


	4. The visit

The door opens and Braden is face to face with Miss Jackson, Percy's mother. She steps aside and he walks in. There is no presence of Percy in the small apartment building but yet, he is everywhere. Sally leads him into the kitchen and they both take a seat at the table. She stares at the empty seat to Braden's right.

Percy's seat.

"How are you, Miss Jackson?"

She laughs, but it is utterly devoid of any emotion. "I've been better." She stares up at the ceiling. "I saw you at Percy's funeral."

Braden nods once. "Yes, I was there."

"I think I know why you came here."

"You do?"

"Yes," she says. "You want to understand."

"Yes," Braden nods.

"Okay, I will help you understand."

**_I am so sorry it is incredibly short, but I have been studying for my revolutions exam non-stop! And it's tomorrow, so wish me luck, xo. _**


	5. The album

Sally drops a photo album on the table. Dust flies around it, as if it hasn't been touched in twenty years. It has CAMP HALF-BLOOD written across it in big black letters. Immediately he is confused, but curious.

"What I am about to show you, you are not allowed to tell anyone," she says, he tone grave.

"I swear."

"And keep an open mind about this."

"I will, I swear."

She cracks open the cover and Braden is staring at the face of Percy Jackson. 'Year one' are the words underneath the photo. He is on a hillside, standing alongside a blonde girl, and a boy with crutches.

"The other boy, his name is Grover. And the girl is Annabeth."

Annabeth. The one he couldn't save.

The next photo is of Percy and a man in a wheelchair.

"Chiron."

The pages keep on turning until she stops. "He was fifteen then." Percy has his arm around Annabeth and they are standing on top a rock formation. "Zeus's fist," she points at the rocks.

She keeps going; there are photos of people and photos of landscapes, a ruined camp, a ruined Manhattan (though Braden isn't sure how he did that shot.) There are photos of an entirely new world, shrines and massive buildings, domes and stair cases, thrones… Almost as if it _was _a new world.

Then the photos start to change, Percy's orange shirt has changed to a purple one, with the letters SPQR across them. His two usual companions, Annabeth and Grover change to a burly Asian guy and a small dark skinned girl.

"Hazel and Frank."

Braden nods.

There is a portrait of a fearless looking girl. In a big flowing purple cape out the front of a huge columned building, her arms are crossed.

"Reyna."

Braden nods.

Soon he is joined by a few more people. A Native girl, a tall blonde boy, and a smallish looking Latino boy.

"The girl is Piper, the blonde is Jason and the curly haired one is Leo," Sally sniffs.

Then there is a portrait of one boy Braden does not recognise from Sally's explanations. He is pale, and his eyes are black, and the expression in them is one of hopelessness.

"Nico," she sighs. "Percy was never the same after what happened to Nico, and when Annabeth left us I don't think he could bare it."

"What happened to Nico?" Braden asks.

"Well, when you have the gifts of the Gods, life isn't always easy."

"Gods?"

"Yes, the Gods."

"What do you mean?"

"My son Percy was the son of Poseidon."

**_I hope you all enjoy, I am sorry it isn't my best, xo_**


	6. The talk

"Hey, your mum told me everything.  
And I mean everything.  
And at first I didn't believe it but then it kind of made sense.  
You had strength Percy, I will admit that. Your girlfriend is very beautiful. She is-was- strong. And I am terribly sorry about your friend Nico, that weight Annabeth had to carry would not have been easy. And the weight you bore on your shoulders would have crushed any regular man. So, this is my final goodbye."  
He pauses and takes in a breath.  
"And I hope you have found peace, Percy Jackson, in your palace of blood and bone.  
I hope you have found your lover.  
And I hope you found your last and final embrace."

_Here lies the final resting place of Percy Jackson  
_

"I will join you one day. I will see you again."

With that, Braden turns away from the tomb stone and walks out the graveyard and into the street where the world seems to be a tunnel of never ending darkness. And suddenly he seems hopeless and his heart feels desolate.  
_What is the point?_  
Braden squints into the black world but in the distance he sees something.

A glimmer of hope.

He walks on.


	7. Note

**_Hey, _**

**_I know it is the world's most terrible ending but I wont be on here for a long while as I have end of year exams  
and if I don't pass them I run the risk of not being able to start my last year of high school,  
and I definitely do not want that at all.  
And if I pass then I have head start_**

**_So, I am sorry for the suckish ending, _**

**_xo_**


End file.
